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Stretch your finances when buying a Mac

You won’t make your fortune selling your Mac to Apple, but the process is painless.
Image credit: Apple Inc.

WHEN IT BECOMES obvious that your existing Mac just isn’t going to do what you need and you don’t want it cluttering up your home, it’s time to offload it. First, protect your data — in every sense. That means backing up anything important, and then securely wiping the Mac, as detailed in the walkthrough.

Next up, decide whether it’s worth the hassle of selling. If not, you’ve got options. You could turn your Mac into a keepsake of some sort, as we’ve explored already. Or if you’re not sentimental, you can drop off any Mac at an Apple Store for recycling.

When a Mac is worth selling, the Apple Store is the simplest and safest route. Go to the Apple Trade In page on the Apple website, input your serial number (found in Apple menu > About This Mac), and then glumly stare at the tiny amount displayed. Because Apple didn’t become one of the biggest companies in the world by overpaying for trade–ins.

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Mac|Life
January 2026
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